Walking With Christ

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.(ESV)
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.(ESV)
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.(ESV)
2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.(ESV)
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?(ESV)
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.(ESV)
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?(ESV)
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.(ESV)

Fear is the evil twin of faith. Both ask you to believe in things that have not happened yet. Faith seeks to build us up and push us closer to God. Fear is the very weapon of the enemy and his biggest tool. God knew that fear would exist so He placed some of the best things in life on the other side of fear.

Fear exists and that is a fact of life. We are not given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7). We can be afraid of so much in life that we stop living. We can be afraid of being in crowds or being alone. We can be afraid to win or lose. We can be afraid of just about anything. We can even be afraid of nothing. There are very rational fears that do help to keep us alive. Then there are those who test those fears and walk in dangerous places simply because they will not be controlled by fear.

This group and things like this are examples of my own fears. I’m naturally an introvert. Let me restate that. I’m an extreme introvert. There are very few people that can get close to me without sparking that little voice in the back of my head that says “RUN!”. Crowds overwhelm me. Speaking to people I don’t know tires me out. It’s nothing personal against anyone. It’s the result of early childhood trauma that I’m still working on.

How do I work on it? The same way that God gives patience, wisdom, and grace to those who ask. I put myself into situations where I’m uncomfortable. The trick is for me to rely on God. I consistently validate that my faith is stronger than my fears. I have to prove to myself over and over again that my trust in God is stronger than my fears.

This may not work for everyone. It’s just what I do. Yes, there are perfectly valid and healthy fears. No, nobody should be ashamed for feeling fear of being afraid. The message today is about changing from fear to a healthy respect for things. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of anything else might require a bit of time in prayer.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” — Nelson Mandela
“Fear is the reaction; courage is the decision.” — Winston Churchill
“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” — Franklin P. Jones
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt